Cassandra's Journey
by Myst Dragon
Summary: Cassandra Katro discovers a Jedi Starfighter crashed on earth, and the young wanderer is launched into the Star Wars Universe Close to the begining of Return of the Jedi. Take one wanderer, mix a sample of what allows Vader to manipulate the force, and wa
1. Chapter 1

Obligatory disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or it's proprietary characters, like Darth Vader or the Emperor. I created Kyle and Kieran Katro, Tessa Richards, C-3P1, and the group of aliens, who Cassandra first encounters.  
  
Star Wars:  
Cassandra's Journey  
  
By: Myst Dragon  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Cassandra Katro is the daughter of Kieran Katro and Tessa Richards. Twenty-five years ago her father became a wanderer after the loss of everyone in his family except for his brother who had left home for personal reasons. Fifteen years ago Kieran had recovered from the need to wander and settled down to give his wife and daughter stability. During this time he trained his daughter in martial art techniques, including some slight weapons training. At age twenty, young Cassandra Katro had become proficient in all of the techniques that her father had taught her, though she was nowhere near mastering them. Her uncle, Kyle Katro, occasionally visited and gave her firearms lessons, much to her father's annoyance. Cassandra had learned over the years, that by using her chi, the energy of the spirit, she could strike harder, move faster or jump higher. She also learned some techniques to project her chi, to seem more intimidating or simply as a kinetic pulse to strike from a distance, the former being a drain depending on the strength of the pulse. Eventually she became restless, like so many these days on Earth in the early 21st century, and she began to wander.   
  
One day in her blind wandering, she finds herself on Mount Fuji in Japan. Speaking fluent Japanese had many benefits for the young lady. Most of which were related to information gathering about the local area; just as knowing German helped her, when she had allowed herself to be captured by a group of neo-nazis. Now she travels the Mountain, wearing a cold climate suit over her regular clothes, hood drawn. After hours of searching, she finds an abandoned shrine in front of a cave that many locals said they'd heard strange noises coming from. As she enters, she remembers her uncle telling her that being a Katro meant that, "No matter where you go. If you don't find trouble, trouble always finds you!"   
  
Once she goes so far into the cave that the wind is no longer apparent, she shucks off the cold climate suit, revealing her close fit jeans, jump boots, wrap-around, white shirt, and the brown leather jacket of her fathers. Her long, brown hair was tied in a ponytail and she removed her shaded glasses, uncovering her hazel eyes. Two sets of bangs frame her face and a thin set hangs between her sharp nose and right eye. She turned on a compact flashlight and continued on through the cave. Eventually she came to a strange metallic object that was shaped like an arrowhead and colored primarily red. Upon closer inspection, she found a way to open it's clouded canopy. I really did seem like a cockpit, and she wondered, "Can this really some kind of spacecraft?" On an impulse she jumps into the cockpit and attempts to locate some kind of log playback. In a moment of luck she hits the right switch and a message plays back. It's a holographic image of a humanoid being with two horns on top of his head. It's words were unintelligible to her, but she perceived through it's body language that the being had been losing hope.  
  
Hologram: "Master Windu! I can only hope that this transmission finds you, the auto repairs on my ship are malfunctioning and working slowly." The image flickers for a moment "I came to be on this planet full of superstitious humans, during an accident while testing modifications to the fighter. My nav. computer malfunctioned and flew me through a…" the message is cut of as the rest of the ships systems come to life. The canopy quickly closes and the craft frees itself from the earth and quickly flies through the cave. As it goes, the computer is apparently trying to say something.  
  
Cassandra: "Look here now! I don't understand what you're saying! Try speaking…" she is suddenly cut off when an injector pricks her in the neck!  
  
Computer: "Intruder alert, security protocols engaged. Have a nice flight." As they leave Earth's atmosphere, the young woman sees a ring with what looks like a jet engine on either side, and she passes out.  
  
Cassandra wakes up wearing only her jeans, finding herself strapped down to a table. She examines the strap by means of touch and sight.  
  
Cassandra: "I wonder if I can focus enough chi to break it?" As she attempted to focus her chi into her arms to make them stronger, she discovered that something was terribly wrong! A panicked thought races through her head, "It's disrupted! I can't control the flow of chi in my body!" She sees her pocketknife on a nearby table, and in annoyance closes her eyes and visualizes her father, Kieran Katro, taking the knife and cutting the strap. "Someone is going to pay for this!" When she hears a snap she opens her eyes and sees the knife fall to the floor. With her free hand she unlocks the other straps and stands up. She collects her pocket items left in the room, and puts on a robe that had been, carelessly left in the room. While avoiding sight by some of the strange aliens, a feat in itself considering that her normal chi flow has been disrupted, disorienting her slightly, she overhears a human and an alien fighting the human insulting the other.  
  
Bald Human: "Creedos, you Imbecile! I specifically stated that the midichlorian sample was to be administered directly into the ovum and nowhere else!" the creature he was speaking with looked like a cross between an insect, a human, and a lizard.  
  
Creedos: his antenna twitched, "I don't work on humans. I don't even know what that is!"  
  
B Human: "You could have at least asked before wasting the sample, now the Emperor will have both of our hides! He has sent Lord Vader to inspect the Jedi Starfighter, and the girl!" the panic was obvious in the man's tone and face. "We must return to the examining room to make sure, that she isn't alone when she awakens." As they turn to leave the room, she rushes in, stopping them.  
  
Cassandra: "It's a little late for that! I want my shirt, my jacket, and a way out of here, now!"  
  
Bald Human: "Get her!" with that order, the strange alien rushed towards her. In that instant she had memories of something called the Force, and some of the means of manipulating it. The creature was four feet away when she held out her hand and pushed back into a wall, 20 feet away. She smirks, and looks at the bald man.  
  
Cassandra: "Get her!' That was the best you could come up with!" she grabs him by the collar, and stares him down. "My shirt, jacket, and a way out of here, NOW!"  
  
Bald Human: "The shirt and jacket were destroyed by a lab animal, when he got loose, I swear! As for a way out you to get out of this space station, you can use that terminal to find a hanger and take a ship. There's nobody here that could possibly stop you!" That last part was a lie; he knew Darth Vader should be landing in a few moments.   
  
Cassandra: "One more thing, what did you do to me?"  
  
Bald Human: "Our plan was to create a being powerful in the force to be raised from child hood, by the Emperor."   
  
Cassandra: looking in her arm in disgust. "How disgusting!"   
  
Bald Human: "It wasn't that kind of sample! It was a midichlorian sample taken from Darth Vader."  
  
Cassandra: "What are 'midichlorian's'?"   
  
Bald Human: "They are cellular organisms that allowed the jedi and sith to manipulate the Force. The sample apparently carried with it, the skills of Vader, which was most unexpected! You probably can speak some if not all of the languages he knew, when the sample was taken as well as the force powers you've demonstrated."  
  
Cassandra: tossing the man to his associate. "Feels like they brought something else too. I don't exactly feel like myself, so I'll take me leave of your company." She walks over to the terminal and searches for the nearest hanger bay.  
  
Meanwhile an Imperial shuttle is landing in Hanger Bay three. The Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, walks out of it. His black helmet, mask and support suit make him an imposing figure even to those who are unaware of his reputation. Two storm troopers accompany him; wearing white, face covering helmets and armor. He senses a strange disturbance in the Force, but ignored it because the emperor informed him of the plan to create a child using his midichlorians. The head of the station, Dr. Cornel, greets him.   
  
Dr. Cornel: the white-haired man tries to fight his unease. "Lord Vader, how nice to meet you."  
  
Vader: "Cut the pleasantries, and just lead me to the girl that was in the fighter!" his deep metallic voice sending shivers down the spine of the doctor.  
  
Dr. Cornel: "Of course sir."  
  
As Cassandra sneaks down the hall, she uses simple strikes to the back of the neck to take out some of the guards. She eventually decides to take one of their blasters and belts. In the back of her mind, she is constantly bothered by painful feelings of loss and anger, feelings that are not her own. The feelings continually push for dominance, but she keeps her cool. As she walks into an intersection of the halls, the hair on the back of her neck is on end as she finally notes a heavy breathing to her right. She nervously looks to see a tall man in black armor, a cape and a face-covering helmet. Beside him are two storm troopers and very frightened looking Doctor! Cassandra begins to feel an anger of her own, as she looks at the man in black. The anger begins to blend with the emotions she was feeling earlier.  
  
Dr. Cornel: "It's her! What's she doing free?"  
  
Cassandra: gritting her teeth "Just let me pass. I don't want to hurt anybody!"  
  
Vader: "Surrender to me, and you will be taught, how to master what is happening to you. Fight and you will die."  
  
Cassandra: "I don't think so. I'm a Katro." she pauses glancing for a long shaft of metal. "And you'll pay for messing with my head!" As her anger overwhelms her she pulls a bracing rod to her hand, lifts it up and sends it arching down into the floor, sending debris towards the surprised men. She drops the rod and as she starts to run away, she unconsciously reaches out and pulls Vader's lightsaber to her. As Vader recovers from the surprise and the dust clears, he finds that the doctor and troopers were badly injured and unconscious. He then noted the unthinkable; his lightsaber had been stolen!  
  
Vader: "Impressive." The Dark Lord crushed the throat of the doctor, and left noting that he would have to grab a spare lightsaber from his shuttle, and that things should be interesting, while they search for the woman. He realized that part of his essence that powered her strange attack must have called out for the weapon.  
  
No longer bothering to be discreet, she punches and kicks anything unfortunate to be in her way. After standing around a few moments, trying to figure out what to do, she looks up and sees a vent cover. After pulling it down, she goes into the vent and uses the Force to pull the cover back up into place. She silently crawls around the vents for a short time, and decides to rest.  
  
Cassandra: "This isn't good. I'm alone on a space station, I've lost the ability to manipulate my chi, and I've got some guy's painful emotions roaming around in my head, distracting me! There's a plus side to that though. I've also got some of his skills. It looked like he was still wearing a flight suit, so maybe I can pilot a ship!" She looks down at the brown robe she is wearing to cover her chest. "I'd better do something about this, so it'll be easier to move." She uses her knife to cut much of the lower half off, and re-wraps it, tying it on her left side. "Oops, that's a little higher than what I intended." She noted to herself after seeing that she exposed her abs.   
  
As the young woman crawls through the vent, a small robot approaches her from behind. The droid shocks her with a prod coming from a panel. Without thinking Cassandra uses the Force to send it sailing through the wall of the vent, screaming. Her face flushes as she realizes effect her noisy action would cause! She quickly draws the lightsaber she 'acquired', and activates it, causing a crimson beam of energy to form. With it she cuts a whole in the vent. She drops down, and is about to run when she sees six guards with blaster rifles aimed at her.  
  
Cassandra: "Hi there! You guys come to help see me off? Which way to the nearest hanger?" She smirks as she finally pushes back the dark emotions that have been disturbing her conscious mind.   
  
  
Guard 1: "Shut up, witch! Drop your weapons and surrender. Try anything funny and you're dead!"  
  
Cassandra: "You don't want to do this, you should leave while you still can." To her surprise, the guard lowered his weapon and started walking away.  
  
Guard 2: "What are you doing?"  
  
Guard 1: "I don't want to do this. I should leave while I still can."  
  
Guard 2: "She did something to him! Shoot her!" As the five remaining guards began firing, she instinctively used the scarlet lightsaber to deflect the shots.  
  
Cassandra: "What did I do? I can't help it if the man knows good advise when he hears it!" She rushes in to finish the guards, before they can call for help. She quickly beheads one and spins the weapon to stab one that maneuvered behind her. One of the others takes a shot at her back. Unable to move completely out of the way she tries to reposition herself to deflect the blast. She was too late and the blast winds up grazing her side. The young woman cuts him into multiple pieces in retaliation to his shot. Not wanting to kill anyone else, while it is unnecessary, she Force pushes the remaining guards into the wall hard enough for them to make an impression. "I lost control again! Whenever I use these 'Force' powers, it gets harder to keep his emotions in check!" After looking at the disaster surrounding her, she starts running down a hall.  
  
As Vader returns to his shuttle, one of the storm troopers he left behind approaches him.   
  
S.T. 1: "Sir, we've received a message from the Emperor. He wants your report."  
  
Vader: "Have the remaining troopers wait outside the shuttle." The storm trooper relays the order, and the four remaining troopers exit the shuttle. Kneeling down, the Sith lord activates his holographic transmitter, and he is greeted by the image of a withered old man in black robes  
  
Palpatine: "Report. How goes this endeavor, we've allowed for amusement."   
  
Vader: "The researchers have failed, as expected. Also, Dr. Cornel's security control of the facility was found lacking, so I relieved him of his responsibilities."   
  
Palpatine: "What bothers you, my apprentice? Is there something familiar about this woman?" the old man seemed amused by what he sensed from Vader.  
  
Vader: "It felt as though I was facing myself. The researchers blunder has affected her emotional stability. She is…"  
  
Palpatine: "… compelled by your darkness. She is of no concern to us, and will most likely self-destruct with the proper motivation." The Emperor grins maliciously. "Download all of the data, from the Jedi vessel, destroy it in a very notable manner, and return to what you were doing. You lost Skywalker in Cloud City; you must not loose him again."  
  
Being wary of the droids, Cassandra finds a hanger bay while crawling through the vents again. As she peeks through an opening she sees a gray shuttle that looks like it has a pair of wings and a sail. She also sees the craft that brought her here, and it explodes after the shuttle is cleared of the bay.  
  
Cassandra: barely able to stay in a hushed tone "No. Why? Now I'll never get back! I guess I have no choice, I'll be stuck wandering space, with someone else's damage stuck in my head!" She takes a deep breath. "I am a Katro. We don't surrender. I won't give up! I'll 'borrow' a ship and use the time alone to meditate. Maybe I can exorcise his demons before they drive me insane!" With that plan she opens the vent, jumps down and kicks the guard she lands next to in the jaw. With the only guard in the bay out of the way, she makes for a small, quarter-moon shaped, cargo ship.   
  
As she sits in the pilot seat she lets instinct take over and plans a course for a nearby world called Tantooine. She lifts off as other guards rush in and start firing on the ship. Before they know it, she's out of the hanger and makes the jump to hyperspace. 


	2. Chapter 2

Obligatory disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or its proprietary characters, like Darth Vader or the Emperor. I created Kyle and Kieran Katro, Tessa Richards, C-3P1, and the group of aliens, who Cassandra first encounters.  
  
Star Wars: Cassandra's Journey  
  
By: Myst Dragon  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Roughly an hour after clearing the space station that she had recently awoken in, the young Katro began to meditate. As she meditated, she began to see the Force flowing through and around her, as well as everything around her. She saw that it was very similar to chi, except that chi only flows on the inside of living things, and is hard to focus for an external effect. Then she began to see her chi. Restricted to a focus level of an untrained person. Finally, she collected the pieces of her psyche and found herself inside a stone-carved temple. It was heavily shadowed. She looked around the temple that she often retreated to whenever she needed time to herself. On the walls were images of her mother, father, uncle, and other people that she had become close to. There was also an array of guns, as well as a katana with the blade reversed. The shadows seemed to hide a presence, which made her uneasy.  
  
Cassandra: "I know you're there! Show yourself!" Out of the shadows, walks a blonde haired boy, with a sad, yet defiant look on his face. "This isn't you. Show me your true self!" The boy changes into a young man, who is sad and angry! "Closer, but not quite. I said 'Show me your true self.' Show me the being you've allowed yourself to become!" The young man then changes into Darth Vader. "Finally, I can finish this." She pulls her father's sword from the wall. As she slashes at Vader he pulls out his lightsaber, cutting off the blade of her sword! She looks at it, in shock. "This could be bad." Back on the ship, she falls on her wounded side, screaming in pain. "What's happening?"  
  
After using an undershirt as a bandage, she goes to the cockpit and discovers that the ship had stopped, with all systems failing! She manages to launch an 'S.O.S.' buoy before its system powers down.  
  
Cassandra: "This good. I'm much better off now, than when I first woke up on that table! Okay, it looks like I've got roughly half 'an hour, before I lose life support. At least I've still got short distance radio communications." Twenty minutes later a rebel fleet carrier drops out of hyperspace near her ship, and transmits a signal to her.  
  
Carrier: "Identify yourself, and tell us your condition?"  
  
Cassandra: "I guess it doesn't matter if these guys are imperial or not. I can't do anyone any good if I'm dead." She responds saying, "My name is Cassandra Katro, and almost all of this ship's systems have failed. I have about nine minutes before I lose life support."  
  
Carrier: "Roger. We are locking on to you now, and will be drawing you into hanger two. The men, who will be standing by your ship, will be there as a security measure only. They will not attempt to board, unless you cause trouble."  
  
Cassandra: thinking, "I feel a strange presence on that ship. It stirs a strange conflict in Vader's emotions. This is probably a rebel ship. I remember noticing a part of a log onboard that mentioned a 'rebellion'. I wonder if he feels Vader, in place of me?" As her stolen vessel is brought to a stop in the hanger, the feeling in the back of her mind becomes stronger, because she feels the presence stronger. She exited the ship holding her wound, which had been pulled open when she fell. She scanned the hanger and noted that the guards' uniforms were different from the ones she'd seen on the space station. She also confirmed that they were rebels when she saw their symbol on the ships in the hanger. Then she saw the cause of her uneasy feelings, a young man with sandy hair, and blue eyes. The top of his black outfit reminded her of a karate uniform top. Underneath that he wore a standing collar shirt. The guards hadn't been pointing their guns at her yet, so that seemed like a good enough sign. As the young man walked towards her, she seemed to feel the conflict in the dark lord's emotions grow stronger, and it was becoming more difficult to retain her composure.  
  
Cassandra: "Please stay back." The young man stopped. "You feel Vader don't you?"  
  
Luke: "Yes, is he in that ship?"  
  
Cassandra: "No, he isn't anywhere near here. I am the one you are sensing. I've been experimented on, so I radiate energy like he does. I am Cassandra Katro, a wanderer, and you are?"  
  
Luke: "I am Luke Skywalker."  
  
A woman with dark-brown, braided hair, and brown eyes walks past the guards. She wears a white shirt, a brown vest, and brown pants. Cassandra could tell that she had been very active recently, but there was still a little baby fat left on her cheeks.  
  
Leia: "And I am Leia Organa, and if Luke doesn't think there would be a problem let's get that wound looked at."  
  
Luke: "I don't sense any threat from her."  
  
Cassandra: "I'm so glad you approve." With that, Leia leads the young woman to a med room of the large ship. "Nice... and empty. Where's the stuff?"  
  
Leia: "The Bacta is right here." The Alderanean picked up a cloth and dipped it into a bluish liquid. "Lay on the table, please."  
  
Cassandra: "You aren't going to strap me down are you? I would never have pegged you for the type!"  
  
Leia: "What!"  
  
Cassandra: lying on her good side. "I'm just messing with you." Thinking "Too bad I can't keep joking like that to distract me from Vader's conflicted emotions about that boy. It's taking almost all of my concentration to use the force to block out the pain in my side. Wouldn't be nearly as ha..." her thoughts are interrupted as the princess places the cloth on her side. The added pain being the pebble that burst the dam, causing Cassandra to scream out in pain as she feels it all at once! "That wasn't to bad. Touch of a baby."  
  
Leia: "The Bacta should have only stung a little. I don't understand."  
  
Cassandra: "I was using the Force to block out the pain from my injury. It's harder with that boy around, so that little sting was all that it took."  
  
Leia: "Do you mean, Luke?"  
  
Cassandra: "Yeah, his presence stirs a conflict in the back of my mind, an annoying one."  
  
Leia: "Stay here and rest, while the Bacta helps your wound heal. I'll see what our technicians can do about your ship." With that the woman leaves the injured wanderer in the med. room to rest. Cassandra decided to use the time to learn a little bit about what was going on around her, by pulling a display in front of her and accessing the ship's libraries.  
  
The next day the youngest Katro had found a fair sized empty cargo room, and she began practicing her father's 'Art of the Dragon', which Kieran had adapted a heavier use of chi. She followed through one of the art's many intricate patterns. She felt Skywalker entering the room.  
  
Cassandra: "Shoo fly. You bother me!"  
  
Luke: "It might help if you talked about what's bothering you."  
  
Cassandra: "I don't want to talk about it, and if I did, it wouldn't be with you." She spoke in a tight and controlled manner, maintaining her step in the pattern she was practicing.  
  
Luke: "That's an interesting style, who taught you?"  
  
Cassandra: "My father, now shut-up!"  
  
Luke: "It might help you find peace within yourself, if you meditated."  
  
Cassandra: whirling to face him. "Listen farm-boy! I would meditate if I could, but because I'm stuck so close to you, the tin man's emotions are making it almost impossible to focus!" With blazing speed she rushes towards him, pulling her acquired lightsaber into her hands, giving him barely enough time to defend himself! "You don't know what it's like to have someone else's raw emotions constantly clawing at your conscious mind! His emotions are hard enough to handle when there's nothing to stir them!" she leaps back and rushes him again in the exact same manner, but this time she shoves her knee into his gut when he blocks. She finishes him by stepping back and kicking him hard enough to send him flying into the wall, twenty feet away! He falls to the floor winded. "I sense that you believe you are capable of saving me from the dark side of the Force, but only I can save myself from what is within. I am a wanderer, and I will never be a Jedi or a Sith! I'm going somewhere that I know you won't follow me, the shower room."  
  
Roughly two hours later Princess Leia enters the shower room to speak with the young wanderer.  
  
Leia: "If whatever you've been trying to clean, hasn't come off yet, it most likely won't."  
  
Cassandra: "I can't help but wonder about you. First in the med. room, and now your approaching me in the shower!"  
  
Leia: "You are incorrigible! Do you always joke around like that?"  
  
Cassandra: "Not always. Mostly it's when things seem really bad. I feel like I can trust you, so I'm going to tell you something that I normally wouldn't tell a person I don't really know to well." She pauses "I... I'm scared. These emotions. This presence. Vader's raw emotions were placed in be with no rational guides or thoughts of what brought them to being. I feel them trying to become part of a whole, with me. They're struggling to make me something I'm not, and I'm frightened I might lose."  
  
Leia: "Don't worry, I think you can do it. You just have to be willing to accept other people's help every now and then. I almost forgot! That ship you were on had some parts that weren't properly connected; so a lot of them burned out and to protect itself, the power core began to shut down. The ship is a Nubian C34 Cargo ship, so some of the parts will have to be manufactured in the machine room. In about a day our technicians should have it fixed. It's a shame that you can't stay and fight along side us."  
  
Cassandra: "I'm sorry, but I need to resolve a personal problem first, maybe afterwards, as a way of saying thanks for your help. My father used to be referred to as the 'True' Wanderer, back on Earth. He helped people everywhere he wandered. He also blindly influenced people's lives in a positive manner, not realizing that a prophecy about him being the key to our world finding balance was actually true! When I was five he'd already settled down, and started passing all of the martial arts he'd learned to me. You can tell your friend that he shouldn't feel bad about me kicking his butt. I've been at it much longer!" The rebel leader couldn't help but laugh at Cassandra's last comment. The next day the youngest Katro gave thanks and said good-bye to her newfound allies, and set course for Tatooine.  
  
Luke walks into the hanger where Leia is waiting.  
  
Luke: "I couldn't see past Vader. The part of him inside of her is just too intense."  
  
Leia: "So, is that how she beat you?"  
  
Luke: "What!" he can't help, but shake his head and laugh. "That would be half of it. The other would be her style. Her attack was ferocious, but also calculated. She needs to be wary of the dark side."  
  
As she finalizes the course and makes the jump to light speed, she notices a presence behind her. She stands up, sharply turning around to face, a platinum colored, humanoid droid.  
  
C-3P1: "I am sorry to have startled you ma'am. I am C-3P1, human/cyborg relations, at you service."  
  
Cassandra: annoyed, "Why are you here?"  
  
C-3P1: "I had been assigned to this ship, to aid its owner. My primary functions are assisting in diagnosing ship malfunctions, and translation. Would you be Cassandra Katro?"  
  
Cassandra: "That's me. Why?"  
  
C-3P1: "So you are now the owner of the ship. Thank goodness! The previous owner did not take kindly to my advice and had me shut down. May I ask a question?"  
  
Cassandra: "Shoot."  
  
C-3P1: pauses confused, "I don't believe that firing in this area would be advisable."  
  
Cassandra: shaking her head, "Just ask the Question."  
  
C-3P1: "Why did you change the name of the ship to, the 'Lost Soul'?"  
  
Cassandra: "I didn't, but I think it fits me quite nicely." She smiles genuinely, as she feels things will be quite interesting on her journey. "Can you keep track of the controls and make sure nothing else goes hay- wire while I get some rest?"  
  
C-3P1: "I am quite able of performing that task." Hearing that the young wanderer goes into a room in the back of the ship, and quickly falls asleep.  
  
As the young woman opens her eyes, she finds herself back in the cave where she found the Jedi Starfighter. She is wearing her wrap-around shirt and the tan leather jacket that her father gave her.  
  
Cassandra: "I must have been more tired than I thought. Let's see what's down this cave!" She starts walking through the cave and stops as she hears a familiar voice.  
  
Kieran: "Cass! Don't go down there!" Cassandra turns around to see her father. Most people would guess that he was thirty, but a few knew why his aging had been slowed. His manner of dress fit his casual attitude, black jeans, and a slate long-sleeved shirt, with three buttons down the collar. His short brown hair was mostly combed back, with bangs hovering over his right eyebrow. As she looked into his chestnut colored eyes, she feels the strength and compassion of his spirit.  
  
Cassandra: "Dad! What are you doing here?"  
  
Kieran: "I'm here to warn you about what is inside the cave."  
  
Cassandra: "It doesn't matter who or what is down there. I'm Cassandra Katro, and I can handle anything!"  
  
Kieran: "Cass, I know you can handle yourself, or I never would have accepted you becoming a wanderer. A direct fight is not what you'll find down that cave. You will find a ship that will take you to a distant part of the universe, with little hope of returning home. Strange people will restrict the flow of chi in your body, and will replace it with a strange ability. They will also place a strange psyche into your mind that will struggle against your own. Are you sure you want to go down that path?"  
  
Cassandra: with a slightly amused look on her face "I'm a wanderer, like you were, and always have been. You might not travel long distances anymore, but you've never really settled down. I travel wherever the wind blows me, like you used to. If I don't take this path someone who needs my help wouldn't get it. I'm sorry, but I can't be that selfish. And who knows, maybe I'll find whatever it is that I'm looking for!"  
  
Kieran: smiles warmly. "Let's hope you do find that, as well as a way home so your mother can yell at you for not keeping in touch."  
  
Cassandra: smirking "And people wonder were I get my sense of humor."  
  
Kieran: "Just remember that I've given you all of the tools you'll need to protect your psyche, such as the mental discipline to do this." The elder Katro held his hands close to his chest as if he was holding a ball, and he closed his eyes. As he meditated his face changed from one of compassion, to one of annoyance. Sparks of energy began to fly between his hands, and eventually a ball of energy forms between his hands. When he is satisfied, he thrusts his hands forward, releasing a barely visible blast of energy. While the blast itself is barely visible, the affect on the cave wall is very visible. "No matter what happens I will always be with you in spirit."  
  
Cassandra's eyes suddenly fly open and she sits up looking around disappointed as she looks around. A sad expression falls across her face as she balls up.  
  
Cassandra: "I didn't get to say goodbye. I want to go home." 


	3. Chapter 3

Obligatory disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or it's proprietary characters, like Darth Vader or the Emperor. I created Kyle and Kieran Katro, Tessa Richards, C-3P1, and the group of aliens, who Cassandra first encounters.  
  
Star Wars:  
  
Cassandra's Journey  
  
By: Myst Dragon  
  
Chapter 3  
  
As Cassandra enters the cockpit, the strange dream lingers in her mind. Regret is an unfamiliar emotion for the young woman, as she always did what felt right to her. Vader's emotions had been relatively calm, so she hadn't had to worry about them too much. She looked at the co-pilot seat and noted the humanoid droid that she found out about only a few hours ago.  
  
Cassandra: rubbing her face. "How much longer 'til we get there?"  
  
C-3P1: "It will only be a few more minutes Miss Katro. I was about to go wake you up so you could perform the landing."  
  
Cassandra: "Thanks, and just call me Cassandra or Cass, if you prefer. I don't really like formality."  
  
C-3P1: "As you wish, Cassandra."  
  
The young wanderer used the time spent approaching the planet to familiarize her conscious mind with basic landing procedures for her ship, as well as selecting a spot to land.  
  
Cassandra: "Let's land there." Pointing at a spot on the ship's holographic map.  
  
C-3P1: "Why there? The settlement has no port and that is also too close to a Hutt's palace!"  
  
Cassandra: "Okay, then let's land over here." She points to a spot on the opposite side of the settlement. "There's a cave large enough to hide the ship in, so we won't have to worry to much about this Hutt's men finding the ship."  
  
C-3P1: "If I may say, you seem awfully determined to visit that settlement. Why is that?"  
  
Cassandra: "Well, that's just the direction that the wind is blowing me in."  
  
C-3P1: "Pardon me."  
  
Cassandra: "It's a Wanderer saying I picked up from my father. It means, 'that's the direction I feel I should go'. The Hutt's are like gangsters, right?"  
  
C-3P1: "Yes, and that's precisely why they should be avoided!"  
  
Cassandra: "That's precisely why I have to go down there. There's someone down there that needs my help and I intend on giving it, so let's go!" With that settled, she sets a landing course and brings the ship down. As she reaches the surface, she takes the small ship through a ravine, narrowly missing many of the rock formations as she heads for the cave. After she sets down and turns off the engines, she notices a rattling sound beside her. "Is something loose?" She looks around to see C-3P1 shaking with his eyes dimmed, and snaps her fingers in front of his face. "Hey, you ok?"  
  
C-3P1: eyes lighting up, glancing around "We're alive! I don't believe it! It's incredible, amazing, stupendous! Its." He promptly shuts up when he notices that Cassandra is glaring at him, with an eyebrow cocked.  
  
Cassandra: "There's an old saying that goes like this, 'Any landing you can walk away from is a good one'! Stay here. I'll go check out that settlement."  
  
C-3P1: "I would be most happy to do so!"  
  
As the young wanderer leaves the craft, she grabs a cape and pulls the hood of the cut-off robe over her head. She also grabs some money that the droid had pointed out. The long walk to the settlement is tedious and the desert planet's twin suns don't make it easy. She reaches the settlement, noting the many aliens and humans bustling about the dirt streets, and heads straight for a cantina. Inside, she sees a scaly octopus-like creature playing several instruments in the crowded bar. The young Katro walks to the bar, pulling down her hood.  
  
Barkeeper: "Whaddaya want?" he had the face of a walrus and chubby looking fingers.  
  
Cassandra: "Ice water."  
  
Barkeeper: "Plain or 'spiced'?"  
  
Cassandra: pausing to contemplate what 'spiced' might be, she concludes it might be the same as 'spiked'. And answers, "Plain." Shortly after she finishes her water, she hears a young woman scream, and heads toward the sound. She finds a chubby man standing over a raven-haired woman, wearing a simple dress and a shawl.  
  
C. Man: "You stupid girl, I told you to head straight back after you delivered the message! What took you so long?" He pulls a cat-o-nine tails from his belt and raises the many tentacled, whip to strike her with it, but is stopped by Cassandra's hand grabbing his forearm.  
  
Cassandra: a deep seething anger apparent on her face. "What do you think you're doing?"  
  
C. Man: "I'm teaching my slave a lesson, so mind your own business!" the young wanderer releases him, and steps back.  
  
Cassandra: "Try doing that to me, before you attack that woman again!" The man rushes her and she simply sidesteps grabbing his right forearm, and flips him onto his back. She quickly pulls out her lightsaber and points it at his throat! "Don't you know that slavery is illeagal?"  
  
C. Man: "No it isn't!"  
  
Cassandra: "It is now! Surrender any control devices you have, and if I see you or anyone else with a slave from now on, you'll regret it!" The chubby slave owner hands her a small remote unit, and she destroys it with her lightsaber. As she helps the slave woman up, the former owner runs out. "Is there any device they plant on or in you?"  
  
Woman: "They place a device under the skin. I don't know where it is though."  
  
Cassandra: "No problem. Let's just sit at this table and I'll fix you right up!" they sit at the table the slaver had been occupying. "Give me your hand and close your eyes. Good, now I will guide you through using your chi to find the device. Do you feels that warm pulsing spot in your palm? Focus on it. Follow it as it moves through your body. Do you feel that? It's the device. Slowly pour your chi onto it, until you crush it to dust. Now you're free. Open your eyes. You can hide it my ship until I complete my mission here. What's your name?"  
  
Ellia: "I'm Ellia. Why are you being so kind to me?"  
  
Cassandra: "I don't like slavery, and I don't like people picking on those that can't fight back! Aside from that, I also like helping people." The young Katro smirks. "Oh yeah, my name's Cassandra Katro. Now let's grab some of you personal items, and get you to my ship." As the two women walk to the slave quarters, they are cut off and surround by ten men. Cassandra whispers to the former slave woman, "When the fighting starts get down and try to get to that corner over there."  
  
A bald man, with a scar running down the left side of his face walks inside the circle of thugs. He appears to be slightly larger than the other men, and he holds a bar in his left hand.  
  
Thug Leader: "You've got our bosses property! Give her back, and surrender yourself, so you can be properly punished!"  
  
Cassandra: "Punished? I'm sorry, but I'm really not into that kind of thing." She smirks  
  
Thug L.: "Just shut up and surrender."  
  
Cassandra: looking slightly amused, and wishing that she still had the ability to intimidate the thugs with her chi. "I'm sure that we can reach an understanding. If you walk away now you can hold your heads high because you demonstrated intelligence. However, if you attack foolishly, some of you might not live to regret it. So, what'll it be? Will you walk away heads held high, or get your heads ground into the dirt?"  
  
Cassandra spins, whipping her cape off and uses the Force to knock a tremendous amount of dust and dirt into the air. She activates the lightsaber and whistles to draw attention to her position! When the dust clears, the slave woman is gone. Cassandra can be seen standing calmly with lightsaber ready, and three of the thugs lying badly beaten around her.  
  
Cassandra: "I've seen lemmings with more sense than you people!"  
  
Thug L: "It's seven men to one woman. She can't take us all at once, so let's take her head back to Turrell!" With that command, they all charge the lone wanderer. Some of them fire a few shots at her and she deflects them using the lightsaber. One of the thugs tries to hit her from behind. She deftly brings up her right and kicks him, sending him flying back into a distant building, and making a slight impression in the wall. She quickly thrusts her left palm into the chest of another thug, with similar results, and deflects another blaster shot.  
  
The athletic, young woman leaps to avoid a blaster to the back and it hits another thug. While in mid-air, she spins and uses the Force to send herself falling towards the man that shot at her, with the lightsaber off. The gruff man is blinded by one of the planets twin suns as he tries to shoot her, and is unable to see her until she turns the lightsaber back on the instant before she cuts him in two. Cassandra then quickly spins around kicking the jaw one of the remaining thugs, adding him to the list of disabled. She backflips to avoid another blaster shot and lands behind the shooter, quickly striking him across the back of the neck, leaving only one opponent left. The moment she had knocked down the ninth man, the leader strikes her across the back with his bar. Resisting the pain she retains control and rolls to prevent her face from being planted in the dirt. The young wanderer stands up spinning, holding her back with her left hand  
  
Cassandra: with a confused look on her face, whispering to herself "How'd he manage that? Its like he wasn't even there 'til he hit me!" she looks at the smug look on his face. Thinking, "I could tell where his was at all times, up to a few moments, before he hit me. When I could tell where he was, I felt something familiar.. He's somehow using chi! His spirit was telling me he wasn't there, when he was. Just like its." the image she was seeing disappears, and she ducks to avoid the leader's bar as it flies by, where here head had been. She then uses the Force to add power to her leaping uppercut, sending the thug's leader roughly eight feet into the air. He is already unconscious when he lands. She places her lightsaber back on her belt, and stands over the man with her arms folded. "You might've beaten me with that trick if you hadn't been so smug!"  
  
A few moments later Ellia slowly stood up, allowing a thick layer of sand to roll off of the cape. She looks around in awe of what the younger woman had accomplished.  
  
Ellia: "How were you able to beat them? It's amazing!"  
  
Cassandra: "I had been trained in one of the martial arts of Earth since I was five, so I can take on just about anyone! Let's go" They continue on to Ellia's home in the Slave Quarters, and gather some of her things into a pack. They also grabbed water, for the trip to Cassandra's ship, the Lost Soul.  
  
Back on the ship C-3P1 has been inspecting recent repairs to see how long before permanent replacement parts will be needed.  
  
C-3P1: "These replacements that were constructed should hold out for a few more days of normal use, but Cassandra really should obtain proper replacements before we leave the planet. I hope she hasn't run into any trouble." As if on cue the young wanderer walked up the main ramp of the ship, with the former slave woman following. "I trust things went well for you."  
  
Cassandra: "You're far too trusting, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle." She looks back to Ellia; "I'll show you to a place where you can sleep until I've taken care of the local slave industry" As the two women walk away, the droid notices something.  
  
C-3P1: "You really should put some bacta on that bruise." Cassandra gives him a menacing glare and continues on to the room where Ellia will be sleeping in the meantime.  
  
The two women walk into a spartan room with only a dresser and small bed, in the cramped space.  
  
Cassandra: "It's not much, but it's safe."  
  
Ellia: "Where do you sleep?"  
  
Cassandra: "For the time being, wherever I can. The Pilot seat looks kind of comfortable right now." As the older woman is about to protest, Cassandra quickly interrupts. "It's ok. You're my guest, so don't worry. Now down to business. I figure the simplest way to force everyone to abandon slavery, would be through the Hutt. I want to scope out his palace. Does he have serving girls or does he use droids for that?"  
  
Ellia: "Taurus mostly uses human slaves to serve things. You can borrow some of my clothes for a disguise, if you want. He also enjoys watching some of his slaves perform something called a quick-draw shootout, He discovered it from one of his human slaves." She shakes her head. "You know this is insane, don't you?"  
  
Cassandra: smirking, "It would be boring if it wasn't! He has them shoot each other?"  
  
Ellia: "The guns are set for stun only, but it's still disgusting of him."  
  
The next morning Cassandra walks through the entire ship' She calls for C-3P1 to come to the second cargo room, upon a discovery of what like a motorcycle except with fins in the place of wheels.  
  
Cassandra: "Why didn't you tell me that this swoop bike was back here?"  
  
C-3P1: I'm sorry, but you never asked. I thought you already knew about it. Cassandra: C, for future reference; I am from an Isolated world, far away with far less advanced technology than what you're used to, so don't assume I know something without a good reason.  
  
C-3P1: "As you wish. Do you know how to operate it?"  
  
Cassandra: "Yes, I do. Take care of Ellia, while I'm out." A confused look comes over her face.  
  
C-3P1: "Is there anything wrong?"  
  
Cassandra: "Nothing, I just noticed that Vader's psyche hasn't been struggling against my consciousness."  
  
C-3P1: "Pardon me?"  
  
Cassandra: "Don't worry about it. I'll try to get back before nightfall. Later." She lowers the cargo room's ramp, and rides out.  
  
Later that afternoon Cassandra has managed to sneak past the palace defenses, and is know walking the halls dressed as a serving girl, carrying a pitcher of water. She found the design of the costume to be very annoying. It was sleeveless and short, so she had to abandon her lightsaber. One feature that was actually useful would have been irritating under other circumstances. It had a hood meant to conceal the face. As she was allowed into the room where the gunmen where preparing to entertain the Hutt, she could feel the goblin-esque guard's eyes all over her body. She scanned the room as she served water to the men, some alien, some human. As she was pouring water into the cup of an a green-skinned alien, she heard a man say something in German!"  
  
Eric: (German) "A woman like that should never be without a protector." The young woman being too annoyed to feel shock, turned around and pulled back part of her hood.  
  
Cassandra: (Ger.) "If you got to know me, you'd find I'm quite capable of taking care of myself you piece of." she stops as she notices the surprised look on his face. "What?"  
  
Eric: (Ger.) "You speak German! Are you from earth?" Suddenly it dawns on the young wanderer.  
  
Cassandra: "Oh my god." Remembering to switch back to German "What's your name? How did you get here?"  
  
Eric: (Ger.) "My names Eric Rosenburg. A group of Rodian's chanced upon Earth and took me and my father. They sold us to Taurus ten years ago. My Father gave him the Idea for this contest, by telling him stories of the American old-west."  
  
Cassandra: (Ger.) "So where's your dad?"  
  
Eric: (Ger.) "He was supposed to be sold two years ago, but there was a fight and he was shot."  
  
Cassandra: (Ger.) "I'm sorry, I." she is interrupted as one of the goblin- esque guards strikes her across the back, causing her to wince. She stops Eric from doing anything and faces the guard.  
  
Guard: "You have other slaves to serve girl!"  
  
Cassandra: holding a hand towards him. "You will show some respect and apologize."  
  
Guard: "I. I'm sorry ma'am."  
  
Cassandra: "You will go sit in a corner and think of all the bad things you've done."  
  
Guard: "I will go sit in a corner and think of all the bad things I've done." With that the guard walks away  
  
Cassandra: turning back to Eric who looks very surprised. (Ger.)"I'm going to give the rest of these guys some water, then I'll take you to my ship. What's with the look?"  
  
Eric: (Ger.) "How did you do that?"  
  
Cassandra: (Ger.) "It's just a little trick I picked up." She fixes her hood and gives the rest of the slaves in the room water and returns to the German. "Ok, let's get out of here."  
  
Eric: (Ger.) "How are we going to do that?"  
  
Cassandra: (Ger.) "I know a side-door we can use, now come on." As they reach the door, a guard that wasn't there before stops them.  
  
Guard: "Where do you think you're going?"  
  
Cassandra: "We're going home. You don't need to stop us."  
  
Guard: looking at her confused. "Do you think I'm an idiot? I'm here to stop slaves and prisoners from leaving."  
  
Cassandra: sighing. "Guess I'll just have to do it the old fashioned way." She strikes the guard across the forehead, knocking him out and sneaks out with her new companion, after she uses his chi to destroy the slave device implanted under his skin. 


End file.
